


Human Nature

by Arckee



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Endgame Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, F/F, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I forgot to add angst in the tags, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, More characters will appear I'll tag them, Post-Crisis, Protective Kara Danvers, Sad Lena Luthor, definitely angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22464511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arckee/pseuds/Arckee
Summary: All she could see was Lena, Lena, Lena walking to the police car, subdued, in handcuffs, the coat hanging on her thin frame, the torn sleeve swaying at each step and Lena wasn't ... wasn't.orLena Luthor is the worst (and the best) self-sacrificial idiot I've ever known
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 38
Kudos: 202





	1. Day Zero

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic. So.  
> I got the idea for this story after last week episode ( _Supergirl_ 5x11) and I wanted to write something about it. So this is canon-ish, with a twist. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> One more thing. I have a vague idea about William as a character - I blank out whenever he appears on the screen because of ... uh, _reasons_ \- so sorry William's fans (if there's any out there, at least) if he appears a little out of character. And that's it. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> step 1: take canon  
> step 2: yeet it

It just feels so anticlimactic.

For her not to be there when everything came down. Rao.

It feels a little bit like investing hours and hours in a weird messy awful tv show and then missing its glamorous and equally terrible finale (the Glee mess was still a heated topic for Alex) or not eating a delicious looking pie after hours of mixing together the right ingredients. buying a magazine and not filling its crosswords. Ordering an ice cream and not eating the cherry on top.

So messed up.

She was alone in her kitchen, making breakfast for her and William ( _would you like to go out sometimes? like on a date?_ ) and ignoring the buzzing of her phone (smooth, Alex) with the tv murmuring in the background. Post-Crisis Earth gifted her with an apartment filled with sunlight at almost every hour of the day and she was thriving in the natural light, feeling energized and recharged for a change. Later on, Kara realized how the stillness of her apartment contributed to make the following seconds more aching.

One moment a dark haired detective was trading jokes with a brunette doctor over a dead body and the next Lex Luthor's bald head was infesting her tv screen. Like plague. What a way to start the day. But in the next picture Lex was sporting a pair of sparkling handcuffs and a deep scowl (talk about winter fashion, uh). Kara tuned her hearing to listen to what the journalist on the screen was saying.

"... shocking turn of events. Nobody expected such a downfall from such great minds."

The next shot blurred on Lillian Luthor covered in soot. A nasty bruise was marring her cheek, hair in disarray and handcuffs on as the new fashion apparently dictated.

Breakfast forgotten, Kara focused entirely on the screen. "The public reaction is shocked at best, incredulous. Most are in denial after their arrest: understandable as Luthors are well-known and loved public figures thanks to all their past achievements. It also seems that a small but growing group of Luthor followers has already started a social media campaign vouching for Luthors innocence, especially-" The screen flickered to a new picture and, oh Rao.

 _Lena_.

The Luthor youngest daughter showed up next on the screen, also in handcuffs. A streak of blood ran down the side of her face, hair still in a ponytail. There was a worrying bruise on her elbow where her coat sleeve was torn, a telltale sign of a broken bone. She was also limping badly and the officers dragging her across the street weren't patient with her slow uneven gait. Her green eyes were downcast but her mouth was set in a hard line.

 _Lena_.

The interviewer kept on droning and Kara missed a couple sentences. "...last evening events, which led to the arrest of the whole family. NCPD stated that they'll broadcast a press conference in order to shed light on this mystery. Detective Lane remained tight lipped on the details but seemed pretty confident during arrests. We'll keep you updated on the latest-"

"Kara, do you mind if I borrow one of your towel?" William's voice resonated in the apartment, but Kara didn't answer. All she could see was Lena, Lena, _Lena_ walking to the police car, subdued, in handcuffs, the coat hanging on her thin frame, the torn sleeve swaying at each step and Lena wasn't ... wasn't.

"Kara? Did you hear me?" William appeared in the kitchen doorway, clad in matching pajamas and barefoot, a soft pink towel in his hands. Seeing her cooking breakfast made him pause: this new _development_ in their relationship was new and exciting and ... undefined. They still had to talk about whatever they were, but William was happy at the moment. He chuckled a little seeing the burnt food in the pan, and teased "Kara, your pancakes are going to turn into dust pretty soon if you keep cooking." When he got no reply he looked at her quizzically. "Is everything all right?"

He felt embarrassed for not having immediately picked up Kara's mood as soon as he stepped into the kitchen: he mistook her expression for one of her far away look she got when she was listening to something in the city (that Supergirl thing, he still had to get used to it). He wished to learn her bits and quirks, in time; for now he could only correct his mistakes.

Kara shook out of her stupor to register William's presence in the room. "Kara? You okay? What happened?" Kara was at loss for words (Pulitzer Prize Winner, folks): if she couldn't understand the situation, how could she alone explain, translate into words? While William looked at the news scrolling on the tv, Kara lowered her gaze on breakfast, burnt into oblivion. Her phone buzzed again: one missed call from Nia, messages from Alex and an angry email from her boss, Andrea.

"Uh" William crossed his arms, standing in the middle of the room in front of the tv. "They arrested them. We... uh." (CatCo employed only good journalists, apparently).

William blinked for Kara to disappear and reappear in her Supergirl regalia, stomping towards the balcony. "Wait, Kara-" But she was gone, leaving William alone with a pink towel and Lena Luthor's stark profile dimmed by the police car window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> william: breakfast is burning
> 
> kara: my love for lena is burning


	2. Day One - Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a concept: instead of useless new characters, let's recycle old ones from previous seasons  
> and also, don't text and fly, folks

Her landing cracked the concrete.

In her short flight, the rumors from the city waking up kept piling on Kara. Discarding the clink of coffee mugs and the sleepy chatter, she found the place where the Miranda warnings were being ignored by a ranting Lillian. The police cruisers were parked outside what seemed to be a gray modern warehouse, an anonymous building nested in a similar neighborhood. Her arrival turned a few heads and cameras: the journalists lingering by the sidelines revitalized in a second.

"Supergirl! Over here!"  
"Can you tell us what happened?"  
"Are you going to be arrested too?"  
"Supergirl!"  
"Could you give us an interview?"

She was bombarded with questions pushing against the couple of rookies who tried to keep the reporters away. Kara ignored them, frantic in her search. She could hear the soft rumbling of a police cruiser a few lanes away, while two cars were still parked in front of the building. She could pinpoint Lillian's angry rant: the woman was seated in the back of a car, in handcuffs, protesting loudly. As soon as the Luthor matriarch saw her however, her words stopped grating on Kara's ears. Her impeccable features stretched into a frown, eyes lowered in a spiteful glare. Kara ignored her silence, too.

Kara focused on the last car, where the only prisoner she cared about sat subdued and hurt.

"Lena!"

Her shout reverberated across the street, attracting attention from the bystanders. With a little burst of super speed, she launched at the last cruiser, hands on the car door. "Lena!" She tried again, not bothering to hide her hurry. She saw Lena stiffen in her seat, jaw clenching. While Kara was sure she sensed her approach, Lena didn't turn towards her but kept facing the back of the front seat. She tried again "Lena! Please, talk to me! Lena!".

Lena didn't acknowledge her.

But Kara could be as stubborn as the younger woman.  
"Lena!" she pleaded, not bothering to stick to the 'Miss Luthor' as Supergirl mantle called for.  
Kara punched the glass, startling Lena, whose shock turned to a grimace as she winced: she tried to clutch at her injured arm but the handcuffs prevented any movement. Kara kept on barreling.

"You're hurt, Lena. Let me help you, please."

Lena's face didn't smooth, eyes pinched at the corners. Kara felt tears welling up: this close she could see how much her friend had changed during the weeks of their estrangement. She was taking slow breaths, uneven and broken and even clad in one of her many glamorous attire Lena appeared dim, less, devoid of her usual brightness. The bags under her green eyes were the most visible sign of her exhaustion. Kara clenched her hands into fists, leaving indents on the car frame.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she shrugged, pushing away its owner without looking away from Lena. A strong voice resonated near her.

"Supergirl, I'm sorry, but you can't talk to her. Please."  
"No!" Kara raised her hands from the car. "Let me talk to you, Lena. I'm sure I can... we can-" and lowered one of her hands on the door handle. She grounded her stance, ready to wreck the entire car with only one pull of her arm to get to Lena.  
"Supergirl!"  
Another officer grabbed her arm, but she shoved him too and locked her gaze on Lena. "Supergirl! Stop!"  
  
Under her insistent scrutiny, Lena shifted in her seat and turned away, hiding her face from Kara.

It felt like a punch in the gut.

"Lena," Kara's voice cracked "I-I..."

Something bitter swirled inside her. Her heart surged up into her chest until she could hardly breathe.

"Supergirl. Stand down. Lower your hand."

The new feminine voice resonated within Kara, like a tidal wave. And not unlike a sailor who lost her anchor and was at the mercy of the sea Kara was pushed ashore.

"Leave that poor car alone, Supergirl. It hasn't done you any wrong."

It wasn't the detective's order that made her obey, but nonetheless Supergirl lowered her hand and pulled away from the car. She was guided for a couple of feet, before slowing and stopping. She felt fire build anew in her chest, swallowing her and consuming the weight on her chest.

"Wait! I need to speak with Lena. I know she is innocent! Let me speak with whoever is in charge. I-"

"That would be me, Supergirl." the same voice interrupted.

Supergirl found herself in front of a dark haired short detective, black jacket and badge clipped to the belt. She looked familiar.

"Maggie?" Kara asked, surprise showing on her face. The emotion was matched by the detective.

"Yes? How do you know my name?" Maggie frowned at her, suspicious.

"Maggie!"

"That's my name, Supergirl. Should I know you?"

"Yes, Maggie. It's me Supergirl! I'm... Supergirl" the bubbling enthusiasm in Kara's chest dimmed, remembering that she was in a whole new universe.

Maggie barked a short laugh "Yes, I already knew that. But thank you for clarifying."

"Uh, no. I'm sorry." Kara stammered, blushing "I thought you were somebody else."

Maggie crossed her arms. "Mh. Still doesn't explain how you know my name."

Behind them, Lillian's and Lena's cars engine came to life.

"No, wait. Mag- Detective Sawyer!" Kara insisted, focusing once again. "Detective Sawyer, I need to speak with Miss Luthor. I know she is innocent."

Few people were able to resist to Supergirl's spirit, because many couldn't withstand her passion and backed down from any kind of confrontation. On her part, Maggie held her ground, not shying from the superheroine anger. All traces of amusement lost in her tone, face a mask of professionalism (cop mode on). 

"As the detective leading the investigations, I am not allowed to spread any information before the press release this afternoon. Detective Lane was firm about this issue." Maggie took a short breath before continuing "I also have to inform you that it is illegal to hinder an official investigation and thus could be considered a crime. Please, do not make us resort to strength."

"But Lena-" Kara gasped.

"I know," Maggie said, an ounce of empathy masked in her words "I know you are close to Miss Luthor, Supergirl. But you have to let us do our jobs. If Miss Luthor is truly innocent - as you profess - we will be more than glad to release her. In the meantime, she will be tried together with Lillian and Lex Luthor."

Kara felt like shouting, but settled for clenching her jaw again.

"Supergirl."  
This new reality version of Maggie seemed so similar to the one she knew and dated her sister but also... more guarded, closed off. Kara wondered if this Maggie Sawyer even knew what the name Alex Danvers meant.

"Just because you're Supergirl doesn't mean you are above law. Our common aim is to bring justice without breaking the rules: the citizen are constantly watching us for guidance. Especially you, Supergirl. So you can't talk to Miss Luthor right now."

Kara chuckled humorlessly, admitting defeat "Doesn't look like she'll talk to me anyway."

Maggie gave a half smile and put her hand on Kara's shoulder, squeezing briefly. There was nothing more she could do as Supergirl at the moment. But maybe Kara Danvers could help, instead. Nodding at the detective one last time, she leapt and took off into the sky.

  
+++++++++

The gentle rays of sun filtered in the bedroom, highlighting the small particles of dust floating in the air. The bed's occupants had been awake for a while but still had to leave the warmth of their little cocoon.

"And then he said... ahahah, stop... he said 'The frog is the best reptile known to man.'"

Alex burst into a roar of laughter alongside with her girlfriend, forcing Kelly to remove her head from her chest. 

"It's true! He really said that!"

Alex quieted slightly, allowing Kelly to settle on her chest once again. Her eyes crinkled with fondness, the sounds of laughter echoing in the empty apartment. The ripples of amusement shook Alex' shoulders.

Exhaling loudly, Alex forced herself to calm down, relaxing in her girlfriend's arms. She titled her head against Kelly, who was laying snuggled in her side. Kelly could hear the last rumblings of happiness in her chest and felt a kiss being pressed in the crown of her head. They basked in the comfortable silence that wrapped them in the lazy morning. It was one of the rare morning in which both of them had a day off and Alex was determined to make the most of it.

She felt Kelly tighten her hold, cuddling against her. Her chest swelled with warmth as she closed her eyes.

"Kelly?" she whispered, afraid to ruin their peace.

"Mh?"

"I'm so happy with you." 

"I know." Kelly replied, smugly "It's because I'm awesome. And insanely hot."

"And so modest too." Alex laughed.

"Obviously." Kelly said, stony faced. "I've actually zero flaws. It comes with the whole package."

"Obviously" Alex confirmed, equally serious. "I will look for the return receipt then."

After a beat, they both cracked, peals of laughter tumbling from their mouths. It was nonsense, but it was _their_ nonsense.

"No, really," Alex began once more, sitting up a little so she could lock eyes with Kelly. "I am happy. I-"

The moment was shattered by a ringtone, rising from the desk where their clothes lay forgotten. Since Alex had personalized ringtones, they both recognized it as Kara's.

Alex shifted on the bed, torn. Kelly sat up, deciding for her. "Answer. It's your sister."

"Yeah," Alex grumbled, feet on the cold floor "the same sister that knew that today is our day off."

Kelly smirked. "And do tell, my dear. How could she possibly know that? Have you been talking about me with your sister?"

Alex coughed under her breath, cheeks dusted pink while answering her phone.

"I swear, I'm not bringing you donuts like the last time only because you-"

"Alex." Her sister's sombre voice made her stop.

"Kara? Is everything okay? Are you okay?"

"Turn on the tv." Kara said in a clipped voice.

"Kara, what's going on?" Alex met Kelly's eyes, frantic. "Talk to me."

"Lena was arrested."

"What?" Alex jumped. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"I don't know. I saw it on the tv this morning and I tried to go and talk to Lena, but NCPD wouldn't let me talk to her and so I- I" she didn't want to keep thinking about Lena turning away from her "I couldn't do anything, so I'm going in as a reporter to see what I can find."

"Okay, that seems a good idea." Alex sighed "I'm gonna go see if I can find out anything at the DEO."

"Alex, I- it's your day off, you should-"

Alex cut her off. "If you're going to finish that sentence, Kara Danvers I swear I'll eat all the potstickers at the next movie night."

"I-" Kara huffed "Thank you, Alex."

"Anytime. I'll see you at the DEO. Text me later."

"Bye Alex." Kara replied.

"Bye, and Kara? Don't worry, we'll fix this."

Kara closed the call without replying, tightening her hand on the device, feeling the confusion and the frustration rising up once again. She loosened her hold on her phone when it started to creak ominously and swiped at her screen to unlock it. There were two messages from William.

**9.07 AM William**   
_I saw what happened with Supergirl. I'll wait for you at CatCo. See you later._

**9.07 AM William**   
_And Kara, if you need me, I'm here._

She locked her phone without replying and stopped, floating in the air, deciding where to go next. Alex was on her way to the DEO, maybe she could wait for her there? And in the meanwhile maybe talk to Winn? Or maybe not.  
She breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure: she had tofind the best course of action. She was tempted to tune her senses to look for Lena in the streets but after that morning she didn't want to cross any boundaries, especially without Lena knowing. Her chest tightened at the thought.   
_Think, Kara_ She had to head to the police station to find Lena, but couldn't go there - as Kara Danvers or Supergirl - without a rational reason. A reporter looking for the next big scoop could be a good enough reason. Her feet touched the roof of CatCo building.

In her office, William was seated at his computer, typing lazily on the keyboard. As soon as she approached, he rose at his feet.

"Kara! What happened?"

Kara breathed deeply, channeling all her helplessness into determination. "Will, we have to find a way to enter NCPD press conference."

He stammered a little in front of her strength "Okay, sure. Let me talk to the boss."

"Thank you." Kara said, collapsing down in her hard earned chair. "This day barely started and it already feels like a whole month."

William paused on his way out and approached Kara. He gingerly laid a hand on her shoulder and tried to express his intent of hugging her. But Kara remained motionless, lost in her mind.

"Kara!"  
Nia Nal barreled in the office, launching at Kara. She engulfed her friend in a tight hug from the side which Kara reciprocated earnestly. William lifted his hand. He didn't personally know Nia, he just knew she was Kara's friend.

"Kara! Are you okay?" Nia pulled away from the hug but still kept her arms around Kara "I saw what happened on the news. And I know that you and Lena... Are you okay?"

"Nia." Kara exhaled, thinking about Lena in the car turning away. "It's okay. We need to focus on finding out what happened with the Luthors."

"I know!" Nia almost screamed "Everyone's so confused about what happened. The bullpen is going crazy. If you need my help, you have it."

"Yes, Miss Nal, she's gonna need it." Miss Rojas appeared in the doorway of the office, startling all the presents. She was wearing a sleek black dress, hair in a tight bun, red lipstick. "You could also help me with this question, Miss Nal."

She entered the office, gazing at everyone, head held high.

"Why three of my most talented reporters are dilly dallying in their office when National City is currently being invested by the greatest media shit storm of all times after the Brangelina break up?"

None of the reportes had an immediate answer (makes you wonder why nobody reads papers anymore).

"Stop wasting time." Andrea fixed them with a glare "Nal, Danvers: you are to attend the NCPD press release. Dey: you have the president meeting to cover."

"But..."

Andrea cut off William's protest. "These are my decisions. Now you better go if you care about keeping your job."

CatCo's owner left the room with a final nod. A beat passed.

"Did she just call me talented?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maggie: you can't talk to lena
> 
> kara: actually, megan, i can't talk to her. she won't listen to me


	3. Day One - Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bear my police gibberish while waiting for the angst to start.  
> also, anybody wanna guess how many times i used the word 'super'?

The car was driving smoothly between lanes. The warehouse was on the outskirts of the city, a twenty minutes drive from the police station. The officer behind the wheel seemed young, barely out of academy, while his partner was older, with an edge to him. He was also the one who put handcuffs on her, tightening them around her wrists and adding another bruise.

From the back of the police car, Lena sat hunched, leaning forward. The last ashes of adrenaline were tumbling out of her body, leaving a deep ache inside her bones. Weariness washed against her like a tidal wave, making her sag against the uncomfortable seat. Outside the windows the buildings and the shops rolled by.

A bump on the road made her jolt and then wince when a spike of pain spiraled from her elbow, traveling to her core. She sprang up from her seat, cursing her handcuffs once again, pain radiating from every bruise. She started breathing raggedly.

"Everything alright, Miss Luthor?"

Lena ignored the man. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, enduring the discomfort by breathing through the nose. A few seconds passed before the pain lowered to an ache. The car turned a corner. Blinking away the tears, Lena shifted, resting her forehead on the car window, welcoming the chilliness. The cold seeped through her skin, making her shiver. She exhaled deeply, losing the battle against consciousness in seconds.

The car turned another corner.

  
+++++++++

When Nia and Kara arrived, the press room was already packed with bodies. People kept chattering loudly, a nervous energy buzzing in the room. A few cameras were lined against the wall, pointing directly to an empty long table, where only a woman in a pressed white suit was sitting. A couple of officers were standing by, shifting on their spot next to the entrance, keeping watch on the journalists. Kara and Nia braced the crowd of reporters and claimed a couple of spots at the corner of one of the middle row of chairs. Nia nodded to a fellow reporter she knew from another magazine, who shot her a perplexed look; Nia shrugged, equally confused, and turned to Kara, who was staring blankly at her reporter pad.

"You okay?" Nia nudged Kara with her shoulder.

Kara lifted her gaze. "I don't know," she hesitated "I don't know what's going on."

"It's gonna be okay." Nia smiled sadly and squeezed Kara's knee with her hand.

"It's just... It's," Kara exhaled, breathing deeply "It's so frustrating to not know what's going on. It's like I just woke up and the world went crazy."

"That's why we are reporters." Nia replied, a smirk on her face "Someone I greatly respect once told me that the job of a reporter is to report facts to make the world less crazy. And to make people understand... other people." She gently nudged Kara with her shoulder.

"What a line."

"Well, yeah, she's kinda like that."

"You're right." Kara said, blushing a little "You're right." she let out an incredulous chuckle. "Thank you, Nia. Whoever told you that sounds very smart."

"She's also a very kind and determined person," Nia nodded, smiling gently "but I also heard that she's a big buffoon, so..."

"Oi" she protested, while Nia cackled in response. "You must be confusing your sources: a reporter should always have a reliable source" and Kara joined her, laughing.

"Oh, I see what you did there." She breathed, once they calmed down.

Nia blinked. " _Moi_? But I was super subtle!" (Ah, super).

"Sure you were. Though, it feels nice to work with you again, Nia. Even if we are... here." Kara surveyed the whole room with a quick glance. She was tempted to lower her glasses for a quick x-ray scan, to check if something was amiss.

"Uh, yeah." Nia stammered, lowering her head "It's nice to be your reporting partner again. Been a while since we worked together."

Kara frowned at her odd response but before she could say something a cacophony of camera flashes exploded at the front of the room, interrupting her. Detective Lane had just entered the room, smiling at the cameras, flanked by a couple of anonymous officer and a sturdy looking woman with a notepad braced against her chest. Behind them Detective Sawyer marched forward, head high. Everyone took a seat at the long table, each person behind a microphone and a glass of water. Kara clenched her hold on the notepad.

Soon the reporters fell silent, except for the occasional camera shutter going off, and Detective Lane turned to his audience.

"Good morning. Thank you everyone for your patience and for being here today. Because we value transparency and clarity in our work, we decided to hold this press conference in order to address the most recent security case in National City."

A rouse of protests rose from the reporters at the mention of the arrests. Detective Lane cleared his throat forcefully, regaining attention.

"I know this may seem a shocking and hasty decision, but we assure you that our only aim is to bring justice and security to National City and its citizens." He took a short breath and lowered briefly his eyes on a file on the table. "We know that the most recent series of events brought confusion and anger, but remember that law exists to bring justice for everyone. Our investigations led us to the discovery of a crime perpetuated by the Luthors and after last night all of the suspects were apprehended and are now held in our custody. We have proof of their involvement in illicit affairs that ultimately led to their capture."

Kara sat tightly wound in her plastic chair, notepad blank. Detective Lane cleared his throat again before speaking.

"I shall now let Detective Sawyer speak, our chief detective for these investigations." He lifted his arm, pointing towards his left at the petite latina. Maggie shifted on her chair, bringing it nearer the table: the rough noise grated on Kara's ears.

"Thank you, Captain." she continued "I will be brief in my explanation, but I hope to answer every question you may have."

"The first step in our investigation was actually unrelated to the Luthors. For weeks we kept receiving missing people claims, so we started to dig in these obviously related cases. Soon we discovered that the common factor between all these missing people were the fact that they are aliens. So someone clearly had been abducting them because of it. We were able to link all these kidnapping to the same M.O. thus letting us know we were dealing with the same abductor. Soon, however, our trail ran cold."

Kara caught Lane's displeased shift in expression, his eyebrows bunched up together, but the man resumed his stoic mask quickly. Beside her, Nia wrote in thick letters the word 'passionate' beside Maggie's name. The detective remained unfazed under her boss' glare, pressing on with her statement. She seemed tired.

"Our investigations took a turn for the better" Maggie smirked briefly, glancing at her right "when we caught an anonymous call that led us to a warehouse in the northern district of the city." A map of the city showed up on the projected slide on the wall behind. There was a small red dot in the upper part of the map, flagging the warehouse.

"Last evening my team rushed in a police raid and found the missing aliens. On the site, there were also unidentified alien weapons." A strand of hair fell in her face and Maggie flicked it behind her ear. "We collected enough proof to incriminate and consequently arrest the Luthors on solid grounds."

The smirk fell from Maggie's face, her ever teasing manner falling into a mask of painful professionalism.

"We believe that the mastermind behind this whole operation was, in fact, Lena Luthor, the youngest member of the family. She was aided by her family members-"

_Lena?_

"Our suspects were apprehended on the claims of kidnapping, manufacturing weapons and," Maggie paused, bracing against her next words "and experimenting on living alien subjects."

As everyone exploded around her, Kara froze. Every sound disappeared, the air sucked out of the room. Her vision tunneled on her blank notepad and trembling hands. Experimenting on aliens. Her mind flashed erratically. Cadmus. Lillian Luthor. She was kidnapped. Lillian got a sample of her blood. She couldn't imagine what they were... what they were... She was trapped in a cage. But Lena wasn't siding with her mother. She couldn't bend the bars of the cell. Too good and too smart to follow. Her steps. Yes. She was good.

Cadmus.

This time they were smarter. They had more knowledge. More resources. They were more dangerous. But the NCPD arrested Lillian? They stopped them? Kara felt like she knew less than before. She had no idea what Lillian was plotting. And what Lex could be doing...

Kara blinked hazily. Detective Lane raised his voice, his gray sideburns contrasting against his reddened skin tone. 

"...they are now in our custody. Lena Luthor and her associates will be tried for their crimes against National City citizens. The victims!" if it were possible, Lane's voice raised even more, like a broken thunder "The victims! Are currently being treated at the General Hospital and soon," Detective Lane was shouting over the many screaming voices in the room. "and soon!" he emphasized the word, trying to maintain the facade of calm and order. The officers standing at the door were already approaching the nearest reporters, herding them back on their chairs.

"Detective, detective!"

_Lena_

"Over here, detective!"

_Lena?_

"A question, detective Lane!"

"Detective Sawyer!"

The notepad snapped in Kara's hands, and something snapped inside her. Tears welled up in her eyes at the though of Lena being, Lena. She rose from the chair, fumbling like a drowning person, but found out she couldn't get enough air in her lungs. The pad fell on the patterned floor, the pages swirling against each other. A lump caved its space in her stomach, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. In a blink, the sound came back, attacking from every direction, the clink of handcuffs dangling from the officer belts, the microphone reverberation amplified in her ears, the whizzing of the air conditioning from the office above. Everything lost its edge, blurring right in front of her.

It has been a while since she had a panic attack.

She gulped down a broken sob, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She blinked away the tears, trying to breathe air for what felt like hours. Inandout,inandout, like Alex taught her, in and out, in... She concentrated on her breathing rhythm until she could see her own reflection in front of her, pale cheeks and heaving chest. However, her view was obscured by a weird mass bent in front of her. Narrowing her eyes, Kara recognized Nia, crouching in front of her. And her hands were holding Kara's tightly against her chest. She was mumbling something.

Kara blinked again, regaining focus of her surrounding. She was standing in a pristine white room, one wall covered by a line of sinks, dispensers and paper towels. She was in a bathroom. Her senses quietened, constraining all the noise behind her frame glasses, leaving only silence behind. Her eyes zeroed on the reflection in the mirror.

_Thum-thump_

_Thum-thump_

_Thum-thump_

A shuddering sound reached her ears. Kara could see but couldn't feel her own arms raised in front of her, palms flattened against Nia's chest. Her friend was still mumbling softly.

"...and then the owner said he was nice and really quiet. So we brought him home. It was a cute little ball of fluff. It had a black spot under his left eye, so we called him Patch, like the eye patch of a pirate. My sister and I were super excited. No pun intended."

_Thum-thump_

After a beat, she melted against Nia, realizing just then how stiff she had become. Nia, sensing her movement, stopped talking.

_Thum-thump_

"Nia?" the words sounded rough, unclear to her ears, but her voice came out small. Nia nodded and didn't reply, only tightening her hold on Kara's hands against her heart.

_Thum-thump_

_Thum-thump_

  
++++++++

  
"How did you know how to deal with my panic attack?"

Nia and Kara were standing outside the police department, on the sidewalk. After exiting the bathroom they steered clear of the press room, heeding to the noise still rumbling from it. 

"Uh, I had a friend who suffered from panic attacks. So I learned how to talk to him during those times. To help him. He said he felt uncomfortable in his own skin, so I helped him focus on something else."

"Thank you, then." Kara sniffled.

A loner passerby shot them a dirty look for blocking the sidewalk. Nia replied by giving him the stink eye as he circled around them.

"I think I'll go to the DEO right now, if that's okay with you." Kara glanced around, laughing a little at Nia's antics.

"Sure. I'll cover for you with Andrea."

"Thank you, Nia. I mean it."

"Kara, I'm sure there must be something behind this. I know that Lena would never, that she..." Nia trailed off. "Anyway, tell Alex I said hi."

"Will do." she sniffled again "And Nia? You've got to tell me what happened to Patch over a cup of coffee as soon as everyone in this city decide to calm down."

  
++++++++

  
The office spun by as he rotated: mix-matched and patched up office chairs, two ancient coffee pots, a small table covered in old takeout menus, sleek black file cabinets filled with super important nonsense and the giant wall of monitors whirring nicely. Spinning in chairs wasn’t exactly ‘best tech guy behavior’, but the DEO hall was empty and the city silent. He was tempted to play his latest online game, but trembled at the memory of the last time Alex found him playing on DEO equipment 'meant to be used for saving lives, Winn, not slaying trolls'. But the citizens of Illuminatria waited for him to save them!

Boredom always made him a little dramatic, though.

“Now I know why our software security is always top notch.”

Winn halted his spinning abruptly. One of his least favorite things was getting caught being whimsical. Or plotting.

“I was just, uh, testing a theory,” Winn muttered, making a show of pressing random keys on his laptop. It was a pointless display, though.

Alex hummed. _Menacingly._

“I was!” Winn insisted, swiping a random flash drive from his desk.

Alex opened her mouth ( _menacingly_ ).

"Winn!" the voice that resonated wasn't Alex's. It was Kara, landing cracking the marble floor.

"Winn, you have to find out what happened. Lena's been arrested, but I know she's innocent, Lex or Lillian must've done something. Alex! Please, Alex!"

Winn turned toward Alex.

"Kara, calm down." Alex placed herself in front of her sister, hands on both shoulders.

"We know, we saw what happened. But our first priority," and here she stalled for just a breath, perfectly aware of her sister's priorities "is to relocate the kidnapped aliens to their family. NCPD asked for our help, given the number of kidnapped aliens and the fact that we, uh, deal with aliens."

The crinkle on Kara's forehead showed her agreement.

"I know, but we have to help Lena. She must be innocent."

"And we will!" Alex said "After we deal with the missing aliens, we'll find out exactly what happened. The name Luthor's always doomed for investigations."

Kara took a shaky breath. An alarm blared over their head.

"Winn!" Alex called.

"On it!" he tapped rapidly, smashing on his keyboard. A live feed from the city park showed up on the monitor wall behind them.

"There's a Durlan targeting the city center, he's, uh, male, strong and very very angry."

"Supergirl," Alex chided "we're going to need you for this. But we'll talk about Lena soon. Alright? National City needs you right now."

Supergirl turned, taking off to the city park with a tired huff. Winn rolled by Alex' side in his chair.

"Uh," he mused "It's the third time we replace the floor this month. Think we'll set a new record?"

  
++++++++

  
Lena sat on her cot, laying against the wall. Her arm wasn't throbbing anymore thanks to the pain killers they gifted in the medical wing of the prison. Her arm was hanging from her neck, in a white cast. Four weeks. Minor break in the elbow. The limp turned out to be a nasty bruise. Mild concussion. The laceration on her head was fine, no stitches. But she was just going to be fine. And after a pat on her back, Detective Sawyer escorted her to the new cell.

Talk about déjà vu.

Her cell was empty and silent, except for the usual holler from some near inmates. She jumped when one of the other prisoner banged their jail-issued plastic cup against the cell bars. The lack of mockery from the guards was a nice addition, though.

The uniform the nurse helped her into was bleak and gray, a far cry from her usual fashion choices. It didn't itch, but it wasn't terribly comfortable either. She kept trying to picture how Lex and Lillian would look like wearing them.

Feeling exhausted, Lena exhaled and tried to lower herself on her cot to catch a few hours of sleep. She didn't bother to cover her wince, since she had no one to hide it from.

  
+++++++++

  
Kara showered quickly, inhaled three frozen pizza and collapsed on her bed, lights turned off. The fight with the Durlan kept her distracted for a bit, while it lasted. Now National City had one less rogue alien to worry about, along with a few new dents in the concrete down the main street. She felt so tired. 

In the darkness, Kara turned on her phone, scrolling through the messages.

 **9.56 PM Big Seeeester  
** _Good job today, Supergirl. Get some rest, you deserve it._

 **9.56 PM Big Seeeester  
** _And I promise we'll look into what happened today. Sister night soon? Love ya_

 **10.16 PM Sleeping Beauty  
** _Kara! Everything's fine at CatCo! See u tomorroq. Sweet dreams! :)_

She was replying to both of them when her phone buzzed with a new text.

**10.39 PM William  
** _U up?_

 **10.39 PM Kara  
** _Yes_

 **10.39 PM William  
** _Can I come over?_

 **10.40 PM Kara  
** _No, I'd like to be alone right now_

 **10.40 PM William  
** _U holding up okay?_

 **10.42 PM William  
** _Wanna talk?_

 **10.42 PM Kara  
** _No, thank you. Pretty tired. I think I'll just go to sleep_

 **10.42 PM William  
** _Okay. Sleep well, see u tomorrow._

Kara locked her phone and put it on her nightstand. After a second, she unlocked it and scrolled through her gallery until her thumb paused on one picture. From her screen, Lena was smiling at her through the camera, wearing a ridiculous yellow beanie with dog ears, while Kara was facing her, not looking at the camera, equally terrible dog beanie on, eyes crinkling with laughter. Alex actually took the shot on a weekend, when Sam was still in town: with Ruby birthday coming up, Sam and Alex had roped Kara into helping them prepare a small surprise party for her. Kara, in turn, kidnapped Lena from her work addiction. Together they all went to the mall on a shopping spree, hunting for the perfect party decorations.

Kara smiled, burying her face into the pillow. Feeling selfish for a change, Kara reached out in the city, branching through the everyday life of the citizens. She was searching. Rifling between the people.

_Th-thump_

_Th-thump_

_Th-thump_

And she fell asleep crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> winn: *spins in his chair*
> 
> alex: what are you doing?
> 
> winn: the same thing i do every time, plotting to take over the world!


	4. Day Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> buckle up, my little paperclips  
> also, bear in mind that i lied before, but i won't apologize for it

Performing the DEO Director duties was mostly a dull affair. Having worked as an active agent on the field for many years, Alex thrived under pressure, in the middle of the action. Her quick reflexes, the ability to make time sensitive decisions, her keen eye for assessing any scenario with only a few clues were all qualities that made her a good operative agent. She took her job seriously, it was the one thing she was good at. Plus, the gun holster always tied to her leg was a nice bonus. It gave her a badass image.

_Nice fluffy pink slippers, Agent Danvers._

She liked to be constantly on the move, quick on her toes. And even when no mission required her field abilities, she would always keep her hands filled in the laboratory, messing with phials and experiments. Or she would be down in the med bay, patching up her fellow agents or tinkering with an upgrade for the sun lamps. Messing with Winn was fun, too.

_Leave him alone, my dear. He's just a cute little hobbit._

Her promotion to the director position meant more time behind the scenes and less on the field. She still found the time to tackle the DEO gym with her sister and also to lead her team on as many field missions as she could. She still had a wicked shot. However, some days trickled by with only boring paperwork or by dealing with cocky rookies who tried to belittle her because she was a woman and clearly unfit to be director. Crushing their pathetic illusions with a gruesome workout was always time well spent: she soon became the whispered nightmare of so many new agents. So that was a plus, too. Still, tedious days were more common now. Behind her shiny desk, Alex found a new reason to admire J'onn even more. Not that she needed another one to respect him.

_You can complain all you want, but you can't fool me. You do love him._

It was just frustrating at times. She liked working for the DEO, she did, but she felt like sometimes she wasn't fit for this job. Being the boss meant dealing with other people and Alex, she wasn't exactly a _people_ person. She was brash and assertive and direct. She was loud and complained plenty. Giving orders was one thing: in the heat of the action, Alex had earned her team loyalty so they would follow her sure directives without batting an eye. She could talk easily to agents, but her rough demeanor wasn't fit for political talk or public statements. She dreaded the inevitable meetings with the political figures. On the other hand, this new position also meant more responsibilities: she had people who relied on her, even more than before. Was she ready for this job?

_My dear. You're the most nurturing person I've ever met._

J'onn was way better than her. At this whole dealing with other people. It was no wonder that she didn't have many close friends (one of which was her sister). But she never viewed it as a weakness. Quality over quantity. Being with friends and family was easy. And this was Lena, who had been her friend, once. A close friend. Maybe she still was. And she was now in jail, where Alex was going to meet her as the DEO director. But this wasn't their Lena, was she? The Lena she saw in the news was pale, haggard and handcuffed, a pale shadow of the strong woman Alex remembered.

 _Their_ Lena was good. Their Lena was awful at Monopoly because she kept agreeing to terrible trades that would only benefit Kara, their Lena worked long nights at L-Corp, she was dragged at game nights by Kara and drank terrible soothing herbal tea instead of coffee. Their Lena blushed under praise, dismissed kind words and dealt awkwardly with affection. Their Lena was warm and kind, she knew all her employers' names and was the last to arrive every time they went out for drinks. Their Lena had lunch with her sister and she forced Kara to eat green healthy food and laughed at her terrible jokes, before cutting off chauvinist business men and crying because of a Disney movie three hours later. _Their_ Lena wasn't like her family.

_You care too much to fail, Alex._

So she squared her shoulders and started walking down the jail hallway, towards the room designated for meetings with inmates. Kara, dressed in her Supergirl regalia, fell in step behind her, rigid shoulders and clenched fists. Alex had tried to talk to her sister, but Kara rebutted strongly at her attempts: Alex let the hurt of rejection wash over her as soon as she had seen the pain drawn over her face. The guard accompanying them was walking at the front, so Alex reached for her sister's hand, without looking directly at her. She entwined their fingers, feeling Kara squeezing back. A few corners later, Alex saw a closed door, the officer slowing down.

Alex just hoped she could recognize the woman behind that door.

++++++++++

As they stopped in front of the door, Kara let go of her sister's hand. Grateful as she was, Supergirl couldn't be seen holding hands with anybody. The officer knocked on the door, but instead of going in, a petite brunette came out in the hallway. Maggie.

From the corner of her eyes, Kara could see Alex, who didn't even flinch at the new arrival. Maggie, however, blinked for a long moment, before clearing her throat.

"Director Danvers, Supergirl." with an amused smile she glanced Kara, who, despite the tension she was feeling, blushed lightly remembering yesterday's encounter "Thank you for being here. Still, I can't help but wish I could have met two of the most popular ladies in National City under better circumstances."

Alex let one corner of her mouth rise slightly, as she recognized Maggie's attempts at levity. "Likewise Detective Sawyer."

Kara waited in silence for the moment to pass, feeling once again the worry gnawing at her belly.

"So." Maggie let her smile fall, straightening her posture "I will lead you inside our interrogation room, where Miss Luthor is already waiting for you. I will enter with you, as protocol, but I will not interfere with any questions you might ask her."

While Maggie explained more details of the procedure to her and Alex, Kara glanced behind the detective at the closed door. She was tempted to use her x-ray vision to see Lena, but she refrained herself.

_Th-thump_

_Th-thump_

_Th-thump_

The heartbeat didn't help soothe her anxiety, which came back in full force. She focused her attention on the other two women again. Alex was watching her, as waiting for an answer.

"Supergirl." she called "Would you prefer to wait outside and let me talk with Miss Luthor?"

 _Are you okay? I can talk with her alone, if you want_ was what Alex was saying, instead.

"No need." Kara replied "I would also like to talk with her, to better understand what happened."

_Thank you. But I'll be fine._

Maggie nodded, as if pleased with her answer.

"If you'd follow me, then."

“Here,” Maggie gestured to the open door. She stepped aside as Alex and Kara entered the small interrogation room. The dark gray walls mixed with the unpainted concrete floor. A plain black table sat in the center, surrounded by three chairs. Lena was slumped in one, while Maggie aimed for another black chair in a corner, leaving the Danvers sisters standing. The door closed ominously behind them.

Kara took a moment to look attentively at Lena, grateful for the smallness of the room as a reason to be close to the Luthor heiress. She sat tightly, hunched on herself, eyes cast down at her hands and hair disheveled. Her pale skin somehow looking even paler in the fluorescent lighting. She didn't seem to have noticed them entering, trapped in her mind. A red ring circled Lena's right wrist, the memory of a hand pressing roughly: the silver handcuffs still fastened on her wrists caught the fluorescent light glaring down from the ceiling. Kara felt something shift weirdly in her chest.

"Can't we take them off?" Kara asked, motioning weakly to the handcuffs and to the brace on her left arm, while Alex moved further in the room.

"I'm sorry," Maggie sighed "It's against rules. When not in their cells, every inmate must remain handcuffed."

"But, she's," Kara faltered "She's injured. That position can't be good for her elbow. Surely you could-"

"Why, Supergirl," Lena spat, interrupting her. "Are you always this gracious with your criminals or should I consider myself lucky? It's because I'm a Luthor, right?"

Kara blinked and Lena was there, looking directly at her, head raised. Her green eyes were dark and piercing.

Lena scoffed at her silence. "With all the money LuthorCorp invested in the DEO, I figured that was the case. Mh, please. Take a seat, Supergirl,” Lena taunted, nodding to one of the empty chairs “Get comfy. I promise I don't bite.”

Alex clasped her hands behind her back, towering over Lena. They both ignored her jab.

"Miss Luthor," she stated "We would like to question you in regard of your and your family's actions."

Lena remained silent, blinking haughtily.

"Given your past as the DEO most prominent benefactor" Alex conceded, gritting her teeth "We decided to speak with you before your trial, without any legal repercussion."

Alex sat down in front of Lena, leaning back in the metal chair, a manila folder appearing out of nowhere as she tossed it haphazardly on the table. The DEO Director could feel Maggie and Kara's eyes on her but she didn't let it phase her. Lena stayed defiantly silent.

"Why would you kidnap all those aliens?"

"Why build all those weapons? Are you planning an attack?"

"What experiments were you leading on the missing aliens? Miss Luhtor?"

Kara balled her fists when Lena refused to reply.

"Miss Luthor." Alex intoned another question.

Lena's attention shifted to Kara, but soon turned back to Alex. The red-haired woman droned on a few more demands, trying to reach for Lena. But each attempt was met with a wall. Alex waited for a moment more, then pushed her chair back from the table. It scraped against the cement floor loud enough to make Kara cringe. She tried one last time.

"Miss Luthor, we only want to help you-"

"My silence should clearly indicate that I don't wish for your help, Director." Lena cut in, clearly annoyed. 

Alex made an angry motion with her shoulders.

"Director Danvers." Kara chimed in for the first time since she stepped in the room.

_Let me try, Alex._

Alex watched Lena for a moment, before standing up and receding. Kara took a step forward.

"Lena," she hesitated, switching tone "Miss Luthor, I would like to know something."

Lena appraised her with a long gaze, shifting her stance to better adjust her brace.

Her eyes quickly narrowed. "What do you want to know?"

Kara could feel Alex' icy eyes glancing over her to gauge her reaction, but the blonde wasn't even sure what expression she was wearing. Green eyes didn't leave Kara's as she posed her question.

"Did you kidnap and conducted experiments on those aliens?"

“Yes.”

Kara raised her eyebrows at the unexpected reply. “That was a quick answer.”

“That was an easy question,” Lena replied, her voice clipped and guarded.

Kara pressed on "Why?"

"Because it was the right thing to do."

"Why?"

Lena huffed, "You can't ask me questions if you won't listen to my answers, Supergirl. It was the right thing to do."

Kara breathed through her nose, trying to collect her thoughts. She focused entirely on her former best friend, forgetting the rest of the room.

"Lena, tell me why you would do this." She begged "Give me one good reason. Just one. Because I don't believe for a moment that what you're saying it's the truth. And because I know you and I know you are too good to even think about doing something like this."

_Th-thump_

_Please, Lena. Talk to me._

Lena blinked, watching her intensely as if mulling over her words. But the moment broke and the atmosphere shifted once more. Her dubious eyes turned to an annoyed look directed at the blonde. She cackled humorlessly.

"Well, it would seem that you don't know me at all then, Supergirl."

"Miss Luthor..." Kara trailed off.

"Supergirl." Lena snapped, causing a reaction in Alex, who angled herself closer towards her sister. "I did kidnap those aliens and experimented on them with my mother. I helped my brother build those weapons. And I don't regret anything. Was that clear enough for you?"

Kara swallowed back her frustration, looking up at the ceiling, towards the sky. She rebutted “Why won't you let us help you?”

Alex stiffened beside her. It was clear to her, from hours spent interrogating victims and culprits at the DEO, that Lena was openly antagonizing them. And Alex realized with a sinking feeling who was the target of these jabs.

"Help me, Supergirl?" Lena's voice lowered, becoming dark and dangerous. "I don't want your help."

Kara stumbled back, caught off guard by the fierce rebuttal.

"In case you didn't realize, I am a criminal. I did all those terrible things you just said. And I'm going to jail for that. I am guilty and I deserve to be held here, along with the rest of my family. And I don't understand why you refuse to accept my answer, Supergirl."

"Because it's not true!"

"It is!" Lena snarled "And you better accept that."

Kara shook her head, "No. I won't believe it."

Lena regained her composure, lost in her frustration, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"Whatever suits you then, Supergirl." she taunted "Even if you don't like it, I'm a criminal. And last time I heard you brought criminals to justice, you didn't offer to save them or bring them tea."

Kara's temper flared.

"No! I-"

"Supergirl."

Alex' cold demeanor made Kara pause. Her senses shifted, focusing on the rest of the room once more. She could feel Alex' strength, her warmth, and Maggie, bewildered in the corner.

"Supergirl, calm down." Alex growled at her, before addressing Lena once again "Miss Luthor, we are here to speak to you. If you wish to say something we are here to listen."

Lena stared defiantly at Alex, before lowering her gaze to her hands. She didn't look at Kara.

"I see you've made your choice." Alex didn't insist. "If you change your mind let Detective Sawyer know. Otherwise I'll see you at the trial."

"But, Director!" Kara protested.

"Supergirl, we can't help her if she won't talk to us. I can't do much more for her. Thank you for your time Detective Sawyer, we'll take our leave now." Alex declared, turning to exit the room. Maggie rose from the chair, going after her in the hallway.

Kara hesitated, anger still roaring in her chest. With one look at Lena, who refused to meet her eyes, she deflated immediately. She kept seeing a young girl, screaming for help. She hardened her eyes, determined.

"Don't worry Lena, I'll be back for you." she whispered, following her sister.

She didn't hear Lena say anything back.

+++++++++++

Nia supposed that as far as hospital went, the General Hospital was definitely a nice one. Kind reception nurse (even though she suspected it was among the job requirements to be nice to people if you were to become the receptionist), modern building, well illuminated rooms and absence of the usual gloom, heavy, standard hospital atmosphere. They even had a gift shop.

Maybe that's why Nia felt so bad about lying to sneak her way in.

Not that she had nefarious intentions to begin with, but she still felt guilty. At least a little bit. She supposed Dreamer could always pay a visit to the children ward sooner or later. She could even convince Kara to tag along as Supergirl (which, again, wouldn't be that difficult, since Kara loved children, but still). Guilty conscience pushed aside, she rushed after the nurse's long stride in front of her.

It hadn't even been difficult, even if it rubbed her wrong. She had promised Kara she would find more info, so she pitched her idea to Miss Rojas to interview one or two kidnapped aliens to get an exclusive. Her boss loved the idea, but seemed skeptical whatever Nia could actually land the interview. Nia herself was torn: she wanted to help Kara, but on the other hand she didn't want to violate anyone's feelings. Even if she found somebody to talk to, she could always lie to Andrea about not having any valuable source and ultimately not write the article. The nurse stopped in front of her.

She would think about her moral compass later.

A quick phone call to Winn (she had felt a pang at the thought of Brainy) and a few minutes later she had her entrance ticket: an andromedan called Naiee, male, around her age, could be a good first candidate. She had been able to persuade the nurse to let her visit her _dearest_ friend and _ta-da_ , here she was, outside his assigned room.

"I'm happy to see someone coming to visit them. You see, they didn't have any visitors, at least until today," The nurse smiled at her gently, "I'll leave you alone, now. Please, remember you can stay until the end of visiting hours." The nurse advised, pushing the door open.

Nia smiled brightly, thankful, and entered the room. There were two beds lined against the wall, one of them empty but unmade while the other harbored two occupants. She recognized Naiee laying on the bed, eyes closed. He had his arms curled up protectively around a child, who laid snuggled in his side. They had the same shade of red hair, clean but messy and the same paleness clung to their skin. They had to be siblings or at least related in some way. As she approached the bed the child opened his eyes, scrambling to his feet.

"I'm sorry!" he rushed "I'm sorry, nurse. Please, don't get mad. I just wanted to be with Nee. I promise I haven't touched anything, please."

The noise roused his brother, who sat on the bed, blinking blearily.

"No, wait." Nia raised her hands in a placating gesture "I'm not a nurse, I don't even work here. I'm just a visitor."

"Oh." the child paused, nodding to himself "You're not a nurse." he repeated, reassuring. "So you won't get mad?"

Nia smiled gently "No, I promise I won't get mad."

"Okay" he murmured, before wobbling back to the bed. His brother reached for him, scooping him up in his long arms. As soon as the two were seated, they both turned towards the intruder. Nia blushed lightly.

"Oh sorry, I'm being rude," she replied to their silent question "My name is Nia. I'm looking for Naiee?" she asked, eyeing the older alien.

He nodded. The child stayed quiet and Naiee shouldered him gently.

"I don't wanna talk with her," he grumbled "Even if she wasn't mean like the nurse."

Immediate threat passed, the boy hid an attitude under his cute red curls. Naiee gave him a pointed glare, nudging him again.

"No, I don't wanna!" the child whined, crossing his arms and turning away from his brother. Nia noticed that even if he seemed to be annoyed, he didn't move an inch from his spot, tucked in Naiee's side. As much as this put a dent in her plans, Nia wasn't deterred.

"It's okay," she began "I'll be brief. I'll introduce myself properly and then, if you don't wanna talk to me, I'll take my leave. How does that sound?" she conceded. The child didn't reply.

"My name is Nia Nal and I'm here to help a friend. You may have heard of her in National City, she's called Supergirl." she licked her chapped lips, considering her next words carefully "I want to help her find out what happened with the Luthors, because we want to help everyone who was kidnapped by them. I know you are part of the missing aliens, so I was wondering if you're willing to talk to me about what happened to you. You would help us understand. I can promise you that everything you'd tell me will only be relayed to Supergirl and no one else's ears."

"No! We won't talk to you!" the child yelled, interrupting her. "Go away!"

Nia faltered "But, I didn't mean to-"

"Go away!" the child cried again, angry tear falling on his cheeks. Naiee put a hand on his shoulder, but he flinched, pushing him away. He rose from the bed, planting himself in front of Nia.

"We don't wanna talk!" he wailed "My brother can't even talk anymore! And it's all your fault!"

Naiee caught his arm, trying to placate him. But the child kept crying angrily and flew from the room to the hallway. Naiee tried to follow him but as soon as he started to push himself out of the bed he winced, collapsing against the pillows.

"Wait," Nia approached him "Don't move, you're hurt."

With her help, the andromedan laid back on the bed, panting heavily. Nia handed him the glass of water that rested on the bedside table and Naiee drank gratefully, waiting for his chest to stop heaving. As soon as he calmed down, Nia felt awful.

"Oh my, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset him." she gestured, embarrassed "I-"

But Naiee waved her apologies away and grabbed instead a notepad discarded among the sheets. He scribbled something, before showing Nia the page.

_It's ok. Laroo is just upset_

So Laroo was the child's name. Before she could reply, Naiee wrote something else under the first sentence.

_He's scared and angry. No worry. He'll return later._

Naiee's writing was neat and polished even in English, in spite of his syntax.

"Still," Nia said, lifting her eyes from the notepad "I apologize for upsetting him. It wasn't my intention. I can go look for him if you want."

Naiee shook his head, drawing a vague gesture in the air. He scooted over, patting the mattress beside him and Nia took his invite, sitting down. She waited while the andromedan wrote something else on his pad, his blue eyes running on the page.

_Laroo will be back soon. It has already happen. I talk with him. You wanted to talk with me?_

He pointed at himself with his empty hand. Nia nodded.

"I'm helping Supergirl in her investigations, so I offered to go find some info for her. But if you don't want to talk with me, then that's okay too."

_I want to help. They were bad people, I no want them hurt anyone else._

Nia exhaled in relief, having been completely convinced to have missed her shot. Even if she still felt guilty about Laroo.

"Thank you. We really appreciate your help. Did you lose your voice because of them?" she hinted, trying and failing miserably at being discreet. Naiee nodded meekly.

_Me and Laroo were kidnapped. Laroo was safe, he's little. But they experimented on me. Lost voice._

"That's why Laroo didn't want to speak with me, right?"

_My fault. I cannot talk with him anymore. Because I do not know how. He is in pain but I do not know how help._

Naiee smiled sadly while showing her his words. He gazed away, as if ashamed of his shortcomings as a brother. Nia wondered if Maeve had ever felt something like that.

"Don't worry, Naiee," Nia reassured him, smiling in return "I'll help you find a way to communicate with him, as a thank you for your help."

The andromedan returned her smile.

"Now, I'll leave you to rest. So Laroo can come back once the coast is clear."

Naiee made a movement of protest.

"Don't worry, Naiee. I already imposed my company to you. We'll talk another time about the Luthors, okay?" she scribbled a series of numbers on his notepad "Here. This is my number, if you want to text me or something. I'll be back in a couple of days and if you still want to help me, we'll talk. Okay?"

Nia was determined to help Supergirl, but if she helped another pair of siblings on the way, then that would have been even better.

+++++++++

"Halt you, swine!"

The man trod along the road in haste, running from the guards: their armors clonked against the tiles and their halberd weighed them down, slowing their run. The thief turned a corner easily losing them, jumping between crates into a purple portal. When he emerged he found himself in a small clean room, surrounded by numerous whizzing flying droids.

"Out of my way, you fopdoodles!"

He punched the nearest one, bruising his knuckles. He leaped into the space created by the fallen droid, opening a new purple portal. In a beat, he found himself stomping hard gravel: in front of him there was a frozen yellow waterfall, suspended in time. His surroundings were quiet and empty, for once, like a cave. Each intake of his breath resonated in the air like a musical note. Nobody was attacking him at the moment, so that was a relief. He collapsed on the floor, sliding against the wall.

"Oh thank you Mr. Keanu Reeves..."

+++++++++

As he approached their usual spot by the park, William spotted Kara sitting on a bench. She didn't notice him, so he plotted how he could surprise her from behind. She was leaning forward, with her elbows on her knees, looking at the ground. Kara’s eyes were open, but she was staring off to the side with the thousand-miles-stare that William knew she did when she was tired or thinking. He decided to forgo his jump scare greeting, ambling lazily towards her. They were meeting for an early dinner (date?), squeezing what little time they could spare from their demanding jobs. One thing William regretted about his chosen career was that reporting didn't guarantee fixed hours every day, but dictated weird hours, with days filled to the brim while others limped on slowly. After all, if you lived in a city with its own superhero you were certainly doomed to live in interesting times.

"Long day?" he greeted Kara with a pleasant smile.

She looked up from his shoes, stretching her tired frown into something that resembled a grin.

"You have no idea. Thank you for having dinner with me so early."

"It's okay," he reassured "Miss Rojas seemed to have calmed down this afternoon and with no more news we can only speculate. And you know how much I hate guessing..."

"Yeah," she huffed, while they started walking towards the restaurant "Good thing you don't write for the astrology column, then."

William fell in step beside her, chuckling at her joke. While she moved swiftly on the sidewalk, William debated if he was supposed to grab her hand. Kara's stride was measured, ambling gracefully between the scarce pedestrians.

"So, something interesting happened at CatCo today?" she asked, making William smile at her thoughtfulness.

"No," he commented, while taking her hand in one motion "I spent the whole afternoon editing a boring interview with the President. I don't know..." he trailed off and Kara looked at him questioningly. "It feels like everyone is still waiting for something to happen, some big plot twist that would save the Luthors. As if," he scoffed, missing the shift in Kara's troubled expression.

"Though," he continued, "I heard that your friend Nia was supposed to try and speak with one of the kidnapped aliens at the General."

"You know if she had any luck?" Kara asked.

"No idea. I haven't seen her since she left this morning." William shrugged.

Kara only hummed in reply, as they reached their destination. a waiter led them to a table beside a window, where they sat down behind their menus. A line of fairy lights was wrapped around the window frame, bathing the room in a warm light. There was a pause in the conversation as they both inspected the food choice. A specific voice in the menu made her pause.

"Will?"

"Mh?"

"Do you like kale?"

 _Sautéed Kale_ was quietly staring at her from the appetizers list.

"What? No!" he made a disgusted face "It's so gross. It tastes like two weeks worn socks." He snickered lightly at the idea.

"Why do you ask? I'll let you know that it could be a dealbreaker for me." he teased, with a glint in his eye. William smiled, conceding her randomness: after all, it was only one of her many adorable quirks.

"What? Oh, no." Kara agreed "I hate it with a passion. I was just wondering about it."

As she went back to browsing the menu, she couldn't help but think about Lena. How she would have laughed at her disgust, pointing out that kale wouldn't actually kill her and that it was instead really good for her health. She remember Lena mocking her about it and trying to convince her to consume more green food.

_"Lena, I swear. I am sure that kale was the one food invented to torture people with its horrible taste."_

_"Nobody died from eating kale, Kara. You should try it, it's actually one of the healthiest food."_

_"Over my dead body. The day when I'll willingly eat this Devil's spawn will be the day Lex Luthor elopes with Superman into the sunset."_

_"Given my brother's unhealthy obsession with him, that could be a very plausible scenario, darling."_

_"No. Don't even joke about it, I'm serious. If you make me try that evil green leaf again I'm going to sue you to bankruptcy and we will no longer be friends."_

_"Oh, don't be so dramatic."_

_"Excuse me? You, Lena Luthor, are accusing me of being dramatic?"_

_"You actually make a valid point, Miss Danvers."_

Food did make her dramatic, though. She found herself smiling at the thought. Her smile was soon tainted by sadness at the memory of that morning events. She breathed deeply, trying to keep the tears at bay, and shifted the menu in her hands to cover her view of William.

_Th-thump_

"Are you ready to order? Kara?" she lifted her eyes, noticing the waiter standing beside their table, pen in his hand. She smiled and placed her order.

++++++++++

The spoon clinked on the cup while William gestured wildly, recounting one of his London stories. Their dinner had been pleasant and now they were both enjoying dessert, even though his ice cream was on the brink of melting since he was so invested in the narration. When he stopped laughing, he noticed that Kara hadn't react to his story but instead was lost in her mind.

"Kara? Everything alright?"

She snapped out of it. "Mh? Yeah. Just tired I think."

"Mh," he hummed, unconvinced "You want to tell me what happened this morning in jail?"

"How do you..." Kara questioned, trailing off.

"Well," he leaned back in his chair "When National City's most loved superheroine goes to pay a visit to one of the most famous inmates of all times, even a mediocre reporter like me is doomed to catch a whiff or two."

"Yes, I suppose so." Kara sighed deeply.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

The restaurant was almost empty, given the hour and the not-weekend day. The patrons were few and scattered, so they could easily talk in total privacy.

"I- I..." Kara hesitated "I met Lena."

William waited patiently, without pressing any further.

"I met Lena and she was so... cold and distant. She didn't answer any question Alex asked her. And all she did was mocking me and ignoring her situation. It was like she didn't care about being thrown in jail. She...I don’t know what’s wrong with her…I just figured…she might talk to me…but she wouldn’t. She kept referring to herself as a criminal, as someone who deserved to be thrown in jail. We tried to offer our help, but she refused, saying that she didn't want our help. She was so different from the Lena I remember. I- I don't know what to do..." she finished her rant with a trembling sigh and the tears she was stubbornly pushing down welled up again.

She felt a warm hand encircle her wrist.

"Kara," William began, all warm eyes and sympathy "I know that she was your friend-"

"She _is_ my friend. She still is." Kara murmured to their hands

"Yes," William conceded "I know that you think she is your friend and that she is good. I know. But I also know that you always see the best in every people. And that is one of the many reasons I fell in love with you, truly. But you know that-"

_I know you believe that everything is good, and kind, and that is one of the things I love about you._

_But that's not the real world. In the real world, everything I do hurts people. It's- it's in my DNA, okay?_

_So, please, just just just stop._

_Stop believing me, okay?_

_I am not worth it._

"But sometimes people just aren't good. Sometimes they turn bad, in spite of how much we wished it wasn't true. And look, that actually was what we wanted from the start, right? To stop the Luthors and put them behind jail?"

"Not Lena! I know she is good and that she is in danger too. Her brother and her mother-"

"-are insane and evil, yes. No matter what they made everyone believe," William cut in, rising his voice "And so it is very very likely that Lena turns out to be like them too. Don't you think? Even the police affirmed that every evidence is stacked against them, against her!"

"I don't care what they think! What anyone thinks!" Kara almost roared "I know for sure that Lena is good. She's nothing like her family! Even if she... even if we..." Kara stammered, deflating and choking on a sob.

"Kara," William cooed, lowering his voice and gently taking her hand with both his "Kara. I'm sorry, but you have to accept the facts. And all the facts lead only to one conclusion: Lena is a criminal. Like her family. They all deserve to be in jail, for what they've done to all those aliens and to Russell. And I'm sorry your heart won't let you see that. But you can't live with an illusion, Kara!"

"No!" Kara insisted "No, Will. You didn't see her, you didn't see her crying for help. You didn't see her broken, behind her shattered masks. She was so desperate for someone to listen to her plead. For someone to hold her hand. She is hurting, so much. Because of my mistakes and because of hers, too. That's why she tries to push everyone away. But this time I'm strong enough to actually help her. I will save her from her family and from herself."

William shook his head, unconvinced "I know that you are a hero, Kara, and that you think that everyone in this world needs saving. But if you just stopped for a minute. Think about it. Three dangerous suspects were apprehended on solid grounds by the police. They are criminals and now they are in jail. As Supergirl, you cannot be led by your emotions this time: this city relies on you and you can't afford to take unreasonable decisions. Feelings are illogical. All evidence point in that direction. Don't do anything stupid, Supergirl."

William felt the hand below his stiffen and tighten, Kara's fist clenching around the spoon. When he lifted his gaze, Kara's eyes were hard and determined: he realized that in front of him didn't seat meekly mannered report Kara Danvers anymore, but Supergirl, the Girl of Steel.

"You know that the reason I told you about my identity, William, was that I didn't want to start another relationship based on a lie. Because this lie - this painful, terrible lie - Supergirl, she cost me my relationship with Lena. And you know that. Lena was... is one of the most important people in my life. So I couldn't- I couldn't risk another relationship ruined and tainted by her, by Supergirl. That's why I told you who I am as soon as I realized that you would become one of my... one of my, friends."

Kara paused and breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure, lost in her fury.

"I didn't tell you about Supergirl for you to guilt me into doing the alleged right thing while ignoring my feelings . My emotions have always been one of my greatest assets, William. They have always been what made me strong, stronger than my enemies, stronger than myself. I learned to never doubt them and in return they taught me to follow my instincts and to always dig deeper to find the truth. Even when it's well hidden, or its path is filled with obstacles."

She retreated her hand abruptly, out of William's reach.

"I will help Lena. She is asking for my help."

She rose from the chair, sharp edges and determination, before turning away from the table.

“Kara-”

"And another thing, William." Kara declared, lowly "I won't save Lena because she _needs_ saving. I will save her because I believe she is _worth_ saving."

Without another word, Kara turned and finally exited the restaurant. In her wake the silence persisted, as William couldn't say anything: he only watched Kara leave behind a bent spoon cluttering on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kara: The floor is hating Lena Luthor!
> 
> Kara: *flies all the way to the ceiling*
> 
> Lena: *falls to the floor*
> 
> Kara: LENA NO!
> 
> also, massive shoutout to CSIGurlie07's amazing fic Making Waves, from which i borrowed one concept for the big fight in this chapter (slightly different, i know, but i think that the idea is still there)


End file.
